The Mongolian Cabinet decided on Wednesday 1 May to rebuild the Natural History Museum in the Ikh Tenger area of Ulaanbaatar. Various officials have been tasked with overseeing the legal agreements regarding the land.  Ikh Tenger, meaning ‘Great Sky’ in Mongolian, is situated on the south bank of the river in the shadow of the hills and is one of the valley names of the Bogd Khan Strictly Protected Area. It is the location of the residences of senior officials of the Government of Mongolia,

The Natural History Museum of Mongolia was established as the National Museum of Mongolia in 1924. The current building was erected in 1953, and was convenient, being only a stone’s throw from Sukhbaatar Square; however, it has been deemed to be highly susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes in a study made in 2013. For several years, the building has been closed.

The museum includes Departments of Geology, Geography, Flora and Fauna, Paleontology, and Anthropology encompassing the rich natural history of Mongolia. The museum’s holdings include more than 6000 specimens, 45% of which are on permanent public display.